The Last Laugh

There was a time when Jeff Hiller would have killed to play the stereotypical “gay best friend” on TV. Now, after years of fleeting guest spots from “gay hooker” to “bitchy” flight attendant, he’s showing the world what he’s capable of as the sweetly hilarious Joel on HBO’s ‘Somebody Somewhere.’ In this episode, Hiller talks about how his real-life relationship with star Bridget Everett is reflected on screen and why it’s so important for “normal” queer characters to exist on TV. He also shares what it was like to pop up on shows like ‘30 Rock,’ ‘Community’ and ‘Broad City’ as well as that time he totally botched his SNL audition. Follow Jeff Hiller on Instagram @boomboomhillerFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jena Friedman wants you to know that she’s in on the joke. And in her new book of essays, pointedly titled ‘Not Funny,’ she deftly demonstrates how she has become one of the most uncompromising comedic voices of her generation, from her days as a field producer on ‘The Daily Show,’ to her Oscar-nominated writing on Sacha Baron Cohen’s ‘Borat Subsequent Moviefilm,’ to her first hour-long stand-up ‘Ladykiller,’ in which she delivered some killer abortion jokes while pregnant with her first child. In her third appearance on the podcast, Friedman holds nothing back, spilling tea about her negative experience with James Corden, revealing why she decided to turn the tables on male comedians like Jon Stewart and Jim Gaffigan by asking them the offensive questions female comedians tend to get in interviews and discussing that time Bill Burr “told on himself” by responding to her tweets about predatory comics. Follow Jena Friedman on Twitter @JenaFriedman and Instagram @jenafriedmanFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodBuy Jena Friedman’s book ‘Not Funny: Essays on Life, Comedy, Culture, Et Cetera’Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘The Daily Show’s’ most valuable player is finally ready for his big moment behind the desk. It’s been more than nine years since Jordan Klepper became a correspondent on the late-night comedy show and since then has become a cultural force in his own right for his life-risking forays into MAGA world. In this bonus episode, Klepper returns to the podcast for a third time to preview his week as guest-host of ‘The Daily Show,’ starting next Monday, April 17. He shares his plans for the big chair, how hard it’s going to be to follow Roy Wood Jr. and what he would say if Comedy Central wanted to make him the show’s permanent host. Follow Jordan Klepper on Twitter @jordanklepper and Instagram @jordanklepperFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mae Whitman has been a professional actor since she was two years old. But nothing she has done over the course of her career prepared her for how terrifying it would feel to bare her soul through song in the new musical rom-com ‘Up Here,’ streaming now on Hulu. In this episode, Whitman looks back on acting with George Clooney in ‘One Fine Day,’ Sandra Bullock in ‘Hope Floats,’ David Schwimmer on ‘Friends’ and more as a small child before making the transition to grown-up TV star on ‘Parenthood,’ ‘Good Girls,’ and now ‘Up Here.’ She also shares stories from the set of ‘Arrested Development,’ where she received a comedy master class playing Ann Veal (“her?”) opposite Michael Cera.Follow Mae Whitman on Twitter @maebirdwing and Instagram @mistergarfFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s taken a while for Samantha Bee to get over the “shock” of losing her late-night TV platform. But now that she has, the comedian wants to make it clear that she still has a lot to say. In our 200th episode, Bee returns to The Last Laugh to look back on the legacy of ‘Full Frontal’ and ahead to the nationwide live tour she never could have pulled off while still hosting a weekly show. She directly addresses those who found her on-screen persona too “angry” and reveals whether anyone from ‘The Daily Show’ reached out to her about being a guest host after Trevor Noah stepped down. After everything, Bee is more confident than ever about how she wants this next chapter of her career to go.Follow Samantha Bee on Twitter @iamsambee and Instagram @realsambeeFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this preview of our upcoming 200th episode with Samantha Bee, dropping next Tuesday, the comedian reveals how she really felt about her late-night show ‘Full Frontal’ getting canceled and responds to conservative haters who gleefully celebrated her demise. Follow The Last Laugh now to hear our full conversation when it’s released next Tuesday, April 4th. Follow Samantha Bee on Twitter @iamsambee and Instagram @realsambeeFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At just 35 years old, Mae Martin has been performing stand-up for more than two decades—from their teenage years at open mic nights in the Toronto comedy scene to hit one-person shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to their first-ever hour long special ‘SAP,’ which was directed by Abbi Jacobson and premieres on Netflix today. In this episode, Martin talks about everything it took to get to this huge moment in their career, including what they learned about themselves making the autobiographical Netflix series ‘Feel Good,’ the difficult decision to come out as gender nonbinary both on the show and in real life and what they make of the rise of anti-trans comedy from some of America’s most popular comedians. Follow Mae Martin on Twitter @TheMaeMartin and Instagram @hooraymaeFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paula Pell spent 18 seasons toiling behind-the-scenes as one of ‘Saturday Night Live’s’ most legendary—and often unsung—comedy writers. Now, on the eve of her 60th birthday, she’s never been a bigger star. In this episode, Pell shares her unlikely SNL origin story, breaks down why she stayed for so long, and reveals what it’s been like to finally become the comedic performer she’s always wanted to be on shows like ‘A.P. Bio,’ ‘Die Hart 2: Die Harter,’ and ‘Girls5eva,’ which was recently picked up by Netflix for its upcoming third season. Pell also opens up about how SNL changed—for better and worse—during her nearly two decades there and how she knew it was time to move on. Follow Paula Pell on Instagram @pellpixFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpodHighlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hasan Minhaj has had a very busy five years between the release of his first big stand-up special ‘Homecoming King’ in 2017 and the premiere of his new hour ‘The King’s Jester’ on Netflix. The former ‘Daily Show’ correspondent roasted Trump in absentia at the White House Correspondents Dinner, launched and ended his weekly Netflix series ‘Patriot Act’ and found himself in the crosshairs of the Saudis for his unflinching criticism of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. All of it and more form the heart of his new special, which Minhaj discusses at length in this episode. The comedian also opens up about the moment he realized he may have crossed a line with his comedy, reveals an elaborate prank he pitched to Nathan Fielder, addresses the accusations of a toxic work environment at ‘Patriot Act’ and a lot more. This episode was originally published on October 4th, 2022.Follow Hasan Minhaj on Instagram @hasanminhajFollow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Highlights from this episode and others at The Daily Beast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this bonus crossover episode from our friends at the GOD POD, Satan joins God to interview The Last Laugh host Matt Wilstein. They discuss TikTok, the decline of reading, Fox News getting caught spreading election fraud, the importance of investigative reporting, meeting your heroes, SNL, and The Last Laugh podcast, where he gets to interview his favorite comedians. On ‘Ask Matt,’ you’ll learn why it’s called The Daily Beast, who his favorite Australian comic is, what’s the good stuff on late-night TV and if he sleeps. On ‘Ask God,’ find out if Satan and MTG are getting “Physical,” what Satan’s dog is like, and play a game of ‘Would You Rather.’ And it’s a historic first on ‘The Satan Show!’ when Satan reads the guest’s articles about Chelsea Handler, Jimmy Kimmel, and much more. Follow Matt Wilstein on Twitter @mattwilsteinFollow The Last Laugh on Instagram @lastlaughpod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.